“We have brought her so that you may have the honor of killing her Elder.” Hanna said as she stood.
“We have disturbing news Elder.” Otarin said, speaking up quickly. He glanced towards her and then the Gifted before turning back to the Elder. “The lady Uvarii may have bonded somehow with the Ablanq.”
The Elder looked genuinely surprised at the words. He turned to Desiree.
“Is this true young one?” He asked, but then waved away his question before she could answer. “Never mind. You would not know if she has.” He turned to the vampires. “Wake her. I wish to speak with her.”
Otarin produced something from his coat and put it to Meilin’s mouth. With a gasp, she woke but as they stood her up before them, she sagged, obviously still weak. She stared at the elder defiantly though.
“So brave.” He said quietly of the beautiful vampire. “So headstrong.”
Desiree was surprised to not hear even an ounce of mockery in his words. He was actually staring at Meilin fondly.
“Is it true what I have been told? Have you bound yourself to this child?” He asked her. She only stared back defiantly but he went on as if she had nodded.
“Yes. I see it now. I can see the power raging in you both.” He stated as he studied the 2 of them. “Quite remarkable really. You were always one to beat the odds Meilin.”
“How is this possible Elder?” Hanna asked incredulously.
“Pure luck I would guess.” He replied casually. “I would guess she would have had 1 in 100 chance of surviving, the girl much less so. Maybe 1 in a 1000. 1 in 10,000?”
“What is to be done with the traitor now Elder?” Otarin asked worriedly. “To kill her would be to kill the only living Ablanq.”
Desiree looked startled at the news. Whether from the talk of killing Meilin or that she would share that fate or that her fate was tied with the vampire at all she did not know. All she guessed. The Elder saw her reaction and turned to her.
“Yes, young one. This woman has risked all in her effort for this power.” He said in that deep, rumbling voice.
She shook her head in denial.
“Yes child.” He said sadly. “This woman is only using you. She cares nothing for you. She has bonded you at great risk, to herself and you for power.”
“You're wrong.” She said weakly. “We are sisters. You have no idea of the bond we share.”
“Oh, but I do child, I do.” He assured her. He spoke with such conviction that she could not help but believe him. “That loyalty you feel is the bond. I am sure it is strong. Probably stronger than any that has ever been before. There is no telling how much the two of you share, how strongly you are connected. It is perverse really, considering.”
“Considering what?” Desiree found herself asking.
“I am almost tempted to study this, for surely it cannot be repeated.” He said, walking up to lift Meilin’s chin. He considered her eyes for a moment before letting her go. “Almost my niece, almost.”
“Niece?” Anastacia asked in surprise. Desiree was shaking her head as if to deny it all.
“Hush human!” Hanna stated angrily but the Elder waved her to silence. He was watching Desiree’s reaction.
“They did not tell you this either?” He asked, looking thoroughly surprised. “Perhaps it is time to fill you in on some things. Then you can decide if you still consider this vampire your sister.” His voice took on a lecturing tone as he continued, deep and smooth.
“300 years ago, vampires warred with witches, my family in particular. It was their goal to eradicate us. We were abominations to them you see. Soulless monsters with no empathy left in our hearts. The Damned!” He said with exaggeratedly wide eyes. “And for many of us it was so. You see, back then there were 2 kinds of vampires. And though the ones like myself and Meilin were much more human than the others, that is not to say we were not malicious in our own right. We would sometimes feed on an entire village in a night, killing every man, woman and child and burn it to the ground to hide our deeds. My niece here was always eager for such family outings.” He said, gesturing to Meilin. Desiree looked to her and her sister avoided her eyes. Desiree could only shake her head.
“But the others now.” He continued ominously. “They were truly the damned. They delighted in death. Enjoyed causing pain as they fed. Some would say that death and torture were as much sustenance to them as blood.”
“You are talking about the vampires with the red eyes.” Anastacia said breathlessly. Hanna and Otarin grimaced at her but the Elder only nodded.
“So, you see, they had cause, the witches. But they were losing the war.” He said as he looked to Desiree. “You see, as powerful as they were, they were few. And we could make a new vampire every night if we so chose. That is where you come in. That is when they made Ablanq.”
“We were made to kill vampires.” Desiree reasoned aloud. “That is why we are so much like you. We were made to counter your abilities.”
“Yes.” He agreed. You were made to entice us so that we could empower you with our main weapon. Once a vampire does that, the Ablanq will make short work of it. You were made to destroy us, and the Ablanq were good at their task. The Witches imbued the first of you with a magical fighting technique that they recorded in training books for others to learn. We managed to get a hold of several of these manuals but it seems only Ablanq can make use of them. With your help, the Witches turned the war around. They hounded the vampires across the globe until only my family and a scattered remnant remained.
Around that time, my sister's children were turned by my order to bolster our strength. And the old blood, the blood of my father proved as potent as ever. But one stood out even among them.” He looked at Meilin, leaving no doubt who he meant.
“She was unparalleled in dealing with Ablanq, ruthless and relentless. Over the course of only a few years, she hunted down and destroyed every Ablanq on earth, destroying the Ablanq itself and any mates or offspring. She almost personally destroyed every ancestor you ever had.” He stated harshly. “With only a few living Witches remaining, the war was over and we had won. But before the few remaining could be found and destroyed, for some reason Meilin joined them. I had no choice but to denounce her a traitor.
“They had submitted and given oaths. They had so much to offer, so much knowledge they could use to make recompense, but you could never see that.” Meilin sneered. “What they have given house Uvarii is testament to that.”
The Elder vampire shook his head sadly. He was looking upon Meilin with what could only be pity. Under his gaze Desiree saw her sister flinch as if slapped. Finally, she turned away from him and her both to stare sullenly at the wall.
“Their recompense,” He began, almost spitting out the word as if it were rotting meat, “Turned family against family, sister against brother. Because you broke your oath, you have managed to do what a 100 years of war against a powerful enemy could not.” His voice became tight with emotion as he stared down at the other vampire.
“Meilin Aoleh Von Rothe, for breaking your oath to your coven and for the death of family by your own hand, including your own uncle Ivan, I sentence you to life in shadow. May you never see light again for as long as the earth holds fire at its core.”
Both Hanna and Otarin gasped. Patricia's face held nothing as she stared at Meilin. Anastacia looked on in confusion as she stared back and forth between all present. Desiree did not know exactly what had transpired either but she knew that whatever it was, it was not good.
Meilin only stared back at the Elder coolly. If any of this truly bothered her, she hid it well.
“My name is Meilin Uvarii.” She said harshly.
“Wha… what does eternity in shadow mean?” Desiree asked nervously. She thought she knew and hoped to God she was wrong. Surprisingly, it was the Gifted who responded.
“It means,” Patricia began, pausing to give Meilin a sympathetic look that lasted all of a second before continuing in a delighted tone. �
�That they surround you in a concrete block and bury you underground or throw you into the ocean. The vampire inside does not die however.” She continued, her face now showing obvious amusement. “They continually feel the sensation of suffocation until their body adapts but by then the thirst, the hunger for blood will be so painful that they go mad. Trapped inside the concrete, they will feel it for all eternity.”
Desiree stared back and forth between the Gifted and her sister in horror. Anastacia had begun to cry softly again.
“You!” The Elder said, pointing to Hanna. “See to the preparations.”
She seemed stunned for a moment, staring forward as if she had not heard but her face suddenly hardened and she bowed and left the room, nearly running she walked so quickly. The Elder watched her go before turning back to Meilin.
“But before that we shall break that bond.” He stated. He then turned to Desiree, looking apologetic. “I am sorry child but this will be very… uncomfortable.” His face hardened again as he moved towards Meilin.
“No!” Desiree wailed. “You can't do this.”
With all the anger and fear she felt inside, she lashed out at Otarin. There was no time between her standing across the room and her fist connecting with the side of the vampire's head. It was as if she had not even bothered with the rules of space and time. Otarin, no one, not even Desiree herself had time to react. Her arm went numb to the shoulder at the force of the blow. Otarin did not even cry out as he fell away to crash into Patricia. They both hit the ground and did not move. The entire side of the vampire’s head was now a sickly, crack strewn, grayish hue. The Gifted looked as if she had just lay down to nap she looked so peaceful.
Desiree stood over them gasping as if she had run 10 miles. Havardr was staring at her as if she had grown horns. The Elder even took a few fearful steps away from her. In his moment of indecision, Desiree hurried to her sister and pulled her to her feet.
“Feed sister.” She whispered as she held her close. Meilin did not hesitate this time and as the powerful sensations washed over her she heard the Elder vampire speak.
“You cannot still want to go with this traitor.” He said in disbelief. “She killed all of your kind and told you nothing. She risked your life to bond you, just to gain power, just to keep you selfishly to herself. She cares nothing for you.”
Desiree began to hesitate. She pulled away from Meilin and looked at her questioningly.
“Did you know that I could die when you bonded me?” She asked her. When her sister did not answer right away she took a few more steps away from her, shaking her head.
“She used you.” He said harshly.
“Perhaps at first.” Meilin admitted. “But it is not like that anymore. You…” She continued but was cut off.
“She doesn't care about you child. She doesn't care about anyone. She never has.” The Elder said sadly. That sadness in his tone, obviously heartfelt was more damning than anything. He knew her, had felt what he assumed she was feeling and she knew it, they all did.
“You're a monster!” Desiree said to Meilin with tears in her eyes.
“It's not true.” Anastacia screamed. She rushed to them, tears still streaming down her face. “Listen, no listen!” She pleaded, but Desiree only pulled out of her grip, shaking her head repeatedly. Her gaze was only for Meilin but her teary eyes now reflected the devil himself instead of her beloved new sister. She closed her eyes and began to turn away.
“The darkness!” Anastacia screamed. And Desiree flinched involuntarily at the memories the name brought. She turned slowly back. “I saw her, I saw her face!” Her friend said hurriedly. “When… when they pulled you back into the darkness, I saw Meilin’s face. No one can look that way and not care. She didn't hesitate. While I crawled away like a coward, she did not hesitate. She jumped into the darkness after you. When she pulled you out, she was so badly injured she could barely walk. And you Desiree.” She shook her head as if she still could not believe what she had seen. “I could not even tell it was you. There was only blood and…” She swallowed hard. “and meat.” An involuntary shiver seemed to take her. Anastacia walked over to her and grabbed her hand again. “Meilin was crying. Your sister was crying as she held you in her arms.” She said as she gently pulled her back towards the vampire. “She kept whispering that you would be OK, she promised you that you would be OK. No one can do that and not care.” She added as she pushed her into Meilin’s embrace.
“And we all noticed it after that. All of us, me and Kennedy, Eric and Martin, all of us. We all noticed the way the two of you behave. You share identical looks when you see one another. So however you feel about her, she certainly feels the same about you,”
“You are a fool. All of you are fools.” The Elder said angrily. “If you choose the traitor then you choose death.”
He closed in on them and Desiree barely had time to push Anastacia away before he grabbed her. She tried to pull his arms away but it was like trying to move a mountain. The sheer pressure of his grip around her neck was causing her to pass out almost instantly. Her eyes were wide open yet darkness was creeping in unchecked. Almost as quickly as it started, one of his hands was pulled away and the darkness receded. With difficulty she was able lift the hand away from her neck enough that she could somewhat breathe again. She grunted with the effort and was only slightly appeased to hear him making similar sounds as he struggled with the two of them. He fell suddenly and the 3 of them rolled across the ground. The splash of water was her only warning as she let go and scrambled to her feet. They had nearly rolled right off the cliff.
They stood before him now, his back only a few feet from the ledge. They looked at each other and rushed at him as one. Desiree did not try to do anything fancy, she only grabbed hold of one of his huge arm, placed the other on his broad chest and began to push. He cursed and spat but she only pushed harder, the two of them managing to push him back another step. But then he grunted and Desiree and her sister went flying back to land hard on the ground. She struggled to rise, at last regaining her feet to stand at her sister's side once more.
“Again.” She commanded.
“Together Sister.” Meilin agreed.
Desiree took a step forward but suddenly she was being pulled away by a familiar force.
She looked over her shoulder to see Patricia slowly walking towards her with both hands extended before her. The Gifted’s face was a rigid mask of concentration, made more severe by the line of blood coming from her hairline and down the side of her face. Blood had run into one of her eyes and she kept it squeezed shut. The other stared at her with unmasked hatred.
“She has chosen Gifted.” The Elder said behind her. “She is too dangerous to be left alive. Kill her… slowly.” He commanded.
Patricia smiled wickedly and with the sudden clinch of the 2 hands she held towards her, Desiree’s entire body erupted in pain. It was plain to see what the Gifted had planned for her. She was going to rip her apart. Desiree could feel every joint and tendon in her body begin to pull apart. She rose in the air a full 5 feet off the ground, the tension in her body at its breaking point.
Then suddenly the pain ceased and she fell heavily to the ground with a splash, the cold water snapping her into lucidity. She looked up to see the Gifted sprawled on the ground, face first. A dark pool of blood was rapidly spreading in a circle around her head. Over her stood Anastacia, a large bronze candle stick held in both hands. There was a look of both horror and exultation on her pixie like face.
The sounds of struggle had Desiree on her feet and moving to aid her sister in an instant. The Elder Vampire still stood a few feet from the ledge but now he held Meilin by the throat. She struggled mightily but obviously could not break his hold on her. Quick as lightning he kneeled down and smashed her into the ground and the struggling ceased. He smiled a wicked grin as he looked at Desiree and suddenly spun, heaving Meilin to the ledge. She flew away from him but just before she cleared his body, one of her hands reac
hed out to grab one of his outstretched arms. The power of his throw had her feet extended in the air behind her but her grip on him somehow stopped her assent, the momentum of her flying body actually pulling the Elder vampire a few feet towards the ledge before he could stop them. Even as they stopped, she used the grip on his arm to swing all the way around so that when her feet hit the ground, it was the Elder vampire who's back was to the ledge. Meilin screamed as she shoved with all of her might. But it was not enough. He only slid back a half step before pushing back. First one step forward and then another, away from the cliff and death. That is when Desiree crashed into them both. The Elder went over immediately but unable to stop, Desiree carried herself and Meilin over the edge as well.
In a panic, Desiree grabbed wildly at whatever she could. When her hands brushed against something, clothing she thought absently, her fall stopped. Just below the lip of the ledge, Havardr clung to the side of the castle with her holding onto his back. He tried to shrug her off but after losing his grip and sliding a few feet down he stopped.
Desiree could hear more than see Meilin struggling up the side of the castle somewhere below them and to the right. Meilin seemed to be doing a lot better than she was judging by how quickly the sounds of her climbing were getting louder. She could only cling to his back while he slowly made his way up. Unfortunately, stone gave way under his hands far too often, sending them both sliding down 2 feet before he could stop them for every 3 he seemed to climb. From the little she could see, the wall looked much more suited for climbing just a few feet to his left than where they were and risking all, she climbed over and grasped the wall. As soon as she was fully off him she began to slide down. It was a full 10 feet or more before she could stop herself. But once she did she found that she could climb with ease. She was rising at least 3 times as fast as he was.
As she came abreast of him, she made sure she was out of arm's reach. And a good thing she was because he lashed out at her as she passed. She could hear Meilin somewhere off to the right and she seemed to be coming abreast of him on the other side. Desiree wanted to giggle with delight as she passed him.
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